A Guide To Humanity
by Lunaya Taryen
Summary: Sofia is a young woman living in the wondrous city of Detroit – the city that revolutionized both technology as well as human society through the creation of androids. With more and more humans rising up against this "new threat", she is unsure whether she should support the people around her or help androids find their way into society.
1. Chapter 1 - Unwanted Neighbors

_**A/N:** Hey everyone! This is a reimagination of DBH's good ending, as seen through the eyes of the protagonist Sofia. Some things will stay the same, some will be changed. Regardless, I hope you'll like it!_

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Chapter 1 – Unwanted Neighbors

It's another one of those days where I feel like nothing is... real. On days like these, my mind tends to take over, leaving me in a state of oblivion. It's almost like I'm... empty in a way. Am I just dreaming all of this?

I have no idea when it started. Sometimes I feel like I've always been like this, only for pictures on my phone to remind me that I used to be a perfectly normal, happy person at some point in my life.

No... I know exactly when it started. My entire life as I know it collapsed on that one day – the day my boss called everyone to his office, as he had a "very important announcement" to make. Needless to say, we were all quite surprised to find an android standing there, staring into space. It introduced itself to us; I believe it was named Aron. All my colleagues were looking at it. They already knew what was going on. Our boss explained to us that he decided to decrease costs to ensure that the company would remain profitable. In other words: We were all going to be replaced. I remember walking home after the meeting. That was the first day, the beginning of this feeling of emptiness.

It's weird, isn't it? Everything was supposed to be fine. I was supposed to function. Yet, here I am, wondering what on earth I should do with myself. Normally I'd pretend that everything is fine and there's nothing wrong. At some point, however, it all comes back to me at once, leaving me in a state of doubt and sadness that could last days, if not weeks. In times like these I often wander around town to distract myself, as I know that staying at home will just make it worse. I just go somewhere, sit down for a while and observe. Ironically, this isn't something I'd usually do, but if it helps me to concentrate on something else, it's worth it.

It's raining, just as the weather forecast said it would. Now that androids do all the calculations, the forecast has become almost 100% accurate. I'm sad and it's raining. What a cliché. Feels like a bad movie. Speaking of movies, the cinema is just a few meters away. Along with the creation of androids came the public's increasing fear of an invasion or war. All the movie posters on the wall depicts some sort of apocalyptic scenario: Androids developing sentience and attacking humans, humans being enslaved by robots, humans replacing parts of their bodies with machines, humans waging war against androids from space… Probably isn't that far off.

I was quite young when CyberLife introduced the first ever android to complete the Turing test, which determined whether or not a machine was as intelligent as a human. My father has always been fascinated by all kinds of machines, especially androids. Perhaps it's because of him that I am so curious about them. Otherwise I might have joined the rising number of protesters in the city. Then again… they're the reason why I'm sitting here in the first place, so I think he would understand.

Okay, enough of this. I'll just go somewhere else. I stroll around the area. Almost every bar or shop has signs on them. "No androids allowed," I mutter to myself silently. In this part of town the resistance is at its peak. Androids are beaten up and damaged on a regular basis. No one cares about how they feel – if they are able to feel emotions at all. Most androids I come across just blankly stare at you with no expression at all. Others, such as service androids, are given a personality through their programming. To be honest… I somewhat envy them. Sure, they were crafted to obey those who buy them, but at the very least they don't feel pain or are overflown by their emotions. I can see why they are considered the ideal workforce.

I open the door of one of the bars called "Flesh & Blood". One of my father's old friends opened it up a while ago as some sort of protest. Up until that point, they were very close friends. The topic of androids, however, was something they could never agree on.

As with all the other bars around here, androids are not allowed to enter. It's not like they need to, of course. Their blue blood can keep them active for over a century without having to recharge themselves. That is yet another thing that is fascinating about them. My phone doesn't even last a day without the infamous "5% left" showing up on screen. To think that these machines could even surpass us…

"Hey, Rob!" I scream from the other side of the room. He is undoubtedly the tallest guy in the building. Not only that, but he's also the most… colorful one. There are many people with tattoos in here, but Rob pretty much covered every inch of skin that is visible. Despite that typical aggressive biker look, he's a really good guy. Whenever my father was abroad to write articles for the Tech Addict magazine, Rob was often the one who looked after me. I'd almost say that he is much more of a father figure to me, just because I share my best memories with him. He even showed up at my college graduation party.

He turns around and smiles as he sees me. "Hey there, Sofia! How are you doing?" I sit down on one of the bar chairs and look straight at him. "Could be better, honestly. Being jobless and all kind of gets to me, you know? I can't even remember what I've done today. Walking around, probably. I've sent out at least twenty applications and they were all rejected. Not to mention that I can only pay rent for another three months. What about you?" Before he can answer one of the waiters calls him over. Apparently there were a few androids nearby that were "just begging to take a beating". Gosh, I thought, I'd hate to waste my time with that. "You wanna come watch?" Rob asks. I slowly shake my head. "Nah, I'm not really into beating up… anything. It's way too stressful. You guys can have fun without me." With that, Rob and a few other people take off, singing one of the songs that they came up with one evening when they had one too many drinks again.

I order my favorite drink at the bar and look at the TV. Yet again they're talking about the worsening relationship between the United States and Russia – the two nations that have been rivals for decades. "Gosh, do we ever learn from our past?" A young man next to me takes a big sip from his glass. "I don't want a second Cold War to happen!" He keeps starring at the TV to concentrate on what the news anchor is saying. As the news went on, I quietly sip on my drink. They keep talking about this topic for far too long. "Do you guys know how long this is going to take?" I look at the tables behind me. All of them shake their heads. "I only know that they've been talking about this for the whole week." The man from before takes another sip from his glass, which is now completely empty. "And they'll probably keep talking about it for a while. How boring." He keeps talking and talking about the horrible past which we're thankfully not living in right now. "I don't think living in the present is that much better. I mean, look at us!" I point my finger at all the other humans in this room. "We've all lost our jobs! You, me, everyone in here! We're all being replaced by machines!" The last line makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. I actually don't mind androids, if you disregard the fact that they stole my job. "I mean, they're pretty cool, but… what are we supposed to do on earth if they are just a better version of ourselves?" That thought has been in my mind for quite some time. When androids are the perfect life form and can do anything and everything, then what are humans supposed to do? "I don't wanna think about it…" mumbles Matt, who is sitting on the other side of the table. "Maybe we'll end up dead like in 'Farewell Earth'. Or we'll have to live underground like in 'The Last Dawn." I look at him with a confused expression. "Wait, you don't know these movies?" he asks. I shake my head.

The next hour or so I was pretty much forced to stay and listen to him summarize all kinds of trash movies. In the meantime, Rob and the others come back and tell all the other guests about their newest adventure. They saw an android couple – he pronounces the world couple so loud that even our neighbors can hear it – and decided "spice things up" a little. By that he means that they threw self-made firecrackers at them. I'm pretty sure that they wanted to use grenades or bombs, but I'm also sure that they don't want to be behind bars anytime soon. Well… some of them at least.

"What'd ya – hick - do next?" A black-haired woman at the back of the bar, who is very obviously drunk, listens to Rob like he is some sort of saint. "What everyone would do, of course!" He slightly raises his left hand, clenches his fist and heroically punches the air. The crowd suddenly starts cheering and slamming their hands – or glasses - against the table. "You better pay for that one, Cindy!" Rob yells. A young woman with red-brown hair scratches the back of her head. "Sorry! I'll be more careful next time." Both of them laugh and chuckle for a little while before Rob goes back to the counter. "Sorry for the interruption." Just like before Rob looks at me with a smile. "About your job…" He pauses and thinks for a moment, then smiles again. "You're always welcome in our team. I know it's not what you want, but it's better than nothing, right?" Carefully he caresses my head, just like he had always done when I felt sad as a child. "Thanks, Rob." I pretend to pat his head, as the counter between us – as well as his height - makes it impossible to actually do so. "I'll try to find something on my own, but I'll keep it in mind, okay?" I take the last sip from my glass. Along with that comes what used to be an ice cube that slowly wanders down my throat. "Phew! That was refreshing! You really do know how to make amazing drinks." I hand the glass over to him. A simple "Thank you" is enough to tell him that there is no need for another drink. "I think I'll… patrol for a little while. You know, check what's going on in the area. If there's something you need, just give me a call, yes?" Rob nods. "Alright. Stay safe."

Only now do I realize just how much time has passed. The sun is just about to set, giving the sky an orange color. It won't be an hour until nighttime. "Ugh… I can't believe it's so late already," I say to myself and let out a loud sigh. Ever since I lost my job, something like a "daily schedule" doesn't exist for me. In the past, everything I did was carefully planned – even my hobbies and interests. There was no time to be spontaneous, since I wanted to get done as much as possible every single day. Well… at least I have the F&B. And the park. The small park near the town center is another meeting point for humans, although androids are much more tolerated since they don't spend much time there, especially around this time of day. In fact, I don't know anyone who goes to the park when it's nearly dark. I'd better be careful around there. I often go there, even in the middle of the night. So far, I haven't encountered many people – or androids for that matter. I only saw young people coming back from a wild night of partying.

The small lake near the park's entrance is incredibly clear. A few years ago the city asked CyberLife to provide androids to "bring the city to its former glory". They renovated houses, collected all the trash lying in the streets and took care of all public places, including the park and all the bus or train stations. From that point on, pretty much everything looked fine. However, that didn't mean that it all was fine. Just like in all the other sectors of the job market, androids replaced a large number of humans who ended up becoming unemployed. From what I've heard, the unemployment rate climbed up to over 37%. Needless to say, that is the highest rate ever recorded in the history of our country. Unfortunately for us humans, this number won't be falling anytime soon.

I sit down on a bench near the lake. Some ducks are slowly swimming around in the water. Man, I wish I had something to feed them. Watching them just doing what they want really calms me down. They don't care what time it is and don't have a schedule they have to follow. Although… even they have android copies. Why would we need animal androids? The only use I can think of is some kind of android animal zoo. After all, many zoos were dragged into the spotlight after it was revealed that they mistreated the animals living there. By using android animals, you can still operate a zoo and don't feel guilty about it. At least they don't get are already enough jobless around here. I look around. There is only one other person at the other side of the lake, just sitting there and doing nothing. Wait… why is there a person? I keep looking at the other side of the lake. "What the hell?" I whisper. Even as the sun goes down, it simply doesn't move. Minute by minute I grow more impatient. Oh screw it, I think and get up. This is one of these moments where my mind takes control again. However, this time it's out of curiosity rather than fear, anger or sadness. I just really want to know who that person was.

I keep walking around the lake, my eyes focused on that one bench just a few meters away from me. My heart beats faster with every step I take. What if they're dangerous? What if I end up being kidnapped? The voices in my head become louder and louder. Still, I am determined to go see that person. After walking halfway I can see them a little better. It's… a woman with standard height and standard shape. Her blonde hair is tied to a ponytail resting on her left shoulder. To my surprise she's wearing a dress, despite the fact that it's nearly winter. "H-Hello?" I ask her hesitantly. She immediately turns her head towards me. "What are you doing out here on your own? It's not safe." I walk closer to her - and stop abruptly. She's… an android?! As I look at her face a bit closer, I notice those strange LEDs near her temples. That is a clear sign that the woman in front of me is not human. Maybe that explains why it... why she hasn't reacted yet. I think I should find out something about her. "What's your name?" I ask her more confident this time. With her eyes still locked on me, she manages to smile a little. "I'm Chloe. I'm an ST200 model developed by CyberLife. What about you?" She slightly tilts her head to the side, expecting an answer. "I.. My name is Sofia," I stutter and raise my arm for a handshake. "N-Nice to meet you." Her smile gets brighter as she shakes my hand. "Pleased to meet you, Sofia. What are you doing out here at this hour? Humans require at least eight hours of sleep each day to function properly." The word function gives me goose bumps. Is that what androids "think" about us? That we need to function? I try my hardest to ignore the voices in my head. "I… I wasn't feeling too well." A bit reluctantly I sit down next to her on the bench. Just now I notice just how beautiful she looks. Great, I think, so the model business is the first to die. Not like I care about that or anything. "Being here really calms me down. There's no crowd, no noise. I can just be… myself." I dare to let my eyes drift to the lake for a moment. The ducks swim further into the lake's center. "It's just me and mother nature. Okay, sometimes there are a bunch of other people here, but none of them bother me. Here I can find some sort of… inner peace." For a few minutes the two of us remain silent. "I see. That's… interesting." Now Chloe looks over to the lake. "What about you?" I want to know from her. "What are you doing here? I mean… Who's your… owner, I guess? Is that what you call it?" As the word owner comes across my lips, I shiver a little. She looks so real, so human, and yet I know that she's just a machine. Still, I feel somewhat bad for her. She just does what she's told and that's it. Also, there's no one around to care for her.

Chloe looks back to me, her eyes slightly closed. "I… I don't know. I… I can't remember anything…" Her facial expression changes from neutral to… sad? "I tried accessing my memory, but… it's all gone." Seeing her like this almost breaks my heart. However, the rational side of my brain keeps telling me to be careful. It might just be one of her tricks. "How is that? I thought that androids have some sort of database for their memory? There must be a back-up or something." Now that I think of it, I always wondered where all the information gathered by the androids ends up. Surely they would do something with it. On second thought... I'm not sure if I really want to know.

I can't help but look at Chloe. I'm not sure how long she's been here, but it must have been a long time. Her clothes are worn out and dirty – she even has some cuts on her arms. Was she running away from something?

To lighten things up a little I decide to change the topic. "Anyway, we can't stay here. It's getting cold – not to mention that it's almost midnight." I quickly get up from the bench, turn around and raise my arm towards her. "If you have nowhere to go, you can just stay at my apartment. It's not the fanciest place you'll see, but it's enough for the two of us." Although I don't really have much, I'm sure that she will be safe in the area I live in. It's a rather quiet region at the eastern part of the city. In newspapers it's often advertised as the perfect neighborhood for those who seek a little bit of quietude. That, however, doesn't mean that there's nothing happening at all.

"Sounds good?" I ask her with a smile. Obviously I can never know what is going on inside that digital mind of hers. She does a great job at hiding any kind of emotion. Nonetheless… I can still see her hesitate. "A-Are you sure?" she asks, turning her head towards me. "I-I mean… I don't want to be a burden to you. Besides, we don't even know each other." Now she scans the area, as if to find a place to escape to. "I mean it, Chloe." To strengthen my point, I slowly walk towards her, kneel down and put her hands in mine. "You can stay at my place for as long as you need to." After a short moment of silence I get up again, her hands still in mine. I help her to get up as well. "We'll figure out what happened to your memories. I'm sure of it."

As we walk down the road together, I find Chloe closely observing everything around her. She seems like a child who had just discovered a secret place. Looks like she really did lose her memory. Poor her. "Tomorrow I can show you around the city if you like. I've got plenty of time. For now, though, we should keep moving. Normally it is pretty safe around here, but with all those deviants walking around, I'm not so sure anymore…" In recent weeks there have been more and more of those deviants – androids who have errors within their programming, which usually ends in them becoming aggressive and revolting against their human owners. The number of assaults and even murders has been rising, leaving the public in shock. Many people immediately returned their androids after the first deviant attack was discussed all over the media. Furthermore, the attack added more fuel to the fire of the steadily growing number of protesters. I remember Rob's reaction after the broadcast. "So these guys aren't just stealing humans' jobs, they want to kill us, too!" That was the moment when Rob bought a number of guns and started going to the gun range regularly. "Better safe than sorry," he told me back then. However, even with the number of incidents rising, I still can't bring myself to hate androids for acting this way. After all, humans commit crimes as well, they just don't have to worry about being executed afterwards. Maybe, I thought, maybe there wouldn't be so many incidents if we started listening to them.

Finally, I can see the apartment building in the distance. Most people inside the building are already sleeping, but in some apartments the lights are still on. To be honest, I hardly know any of my neighbors, except for those living right next to me. Therefore, I don't know what they're doing at this hour, and I don't really want to know. As long as it is nothing dubious, it is none of my business. "Overall, there isn't much happening here, so there's no need to worry about anyone finding you." I quietly open the door to my apartment. It's rather small and empty, since I'm not much of a fan of fancy decorating. The walls are painted plain white, with a few symmetric patterns painted in gray. The furniture is also white, whereas each of the few pieces of decoration had a different color. A vase full of fake flowers, some picture frames, two figurines - it isn't much, but enough to make you feel comfortable. My pride and joy is the humongous bookshelf near the terrace door where I put every book I own – even those from my early childhood. "Here we are! Make yourself at home." Chloe spends the first minutes inspecting each room. In the meantime, I take a glass out of the cupboard above the sink and fill it with tap water. Thankfully, the water pipelines are inspected and maintained on a regular basis, so there is no need to buy water in plastic or glass bottles. "You really like reading, don't you?" Chloe asks. "Yeah, I do." I join her on the other side of the living room. "My dad is an author for the Tech Addict magazine. I guess I owe him my passion for reading. When I was a kid, I always wanted to read the articles he wrote, even though I didn't understand much at the time. Well… okay, I still don't get most of it. I guess fantasy novels are still better to understand than scientific articles." I quickly glance over the selection of books on the shelf. "That's not the only thing I like, though. I also really like art, even though I'm really bad at drawing or painting." Some of the books are actually illustrated books by different artists. There is one book in particular that I am quite fond of. "Here," I tell her, "This is a book by Carl Manfred. He's a fantastic painter from Detroit." Chloe takes the book and browses through it. "His paintings aren't just randomly drawn pictures. Carl always leaves some sort of secret message in them, something to philosophize about." One painting in particular has caught my interest immediately. In its center is a majestic tree made of shiny metal that is standing tall as all the buildings around it gradually crumble down. The ivy on the walls is dried out, but still clinging to the concrete. Someone sprayed graffiti on one of the walls. It shows a young boy crying and a robot arm patting his head. There are many interpretations of this painting in particular – some optimistic, some cynical. From what I've heard, Carl drew this painting after he was gifted an android to take care of his fragile self. Apparently Elijah Kamski himself offered him the new prototype he just finished called RK200. Carl then gave him the name Markus. The android is described as rather quiet, but also very kind. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to meet either of these two.

"That's impressive!" Chloe states. It seems that she is genuinely interested in his works. "I wonder what he's like." She puts the book back into the shelf. "However, we should continue our conversation tomorrow. It's quite late." While I get ready for bed she makes herself comfortable on the couch and looks out the window. I tell her good night and make my way to the bedroom until she asks me something: "That's right, I forgot. What time would you like to wake up tomorrow?" She looks at me friendly. I almost forgot that she is an android who is supposed to serve us. "Uhm… How about 8 AM? That way I can get my eight hours of sleep and it's also not too early." "Alright then," she replies with a smile, "Good night, Sofia."

I crawl into my bed and pull the blanket all the way up to my chin. I know that Chloe is friendly, but her presence still makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. Calm down, Sofia. From tomorrow on you'll have plenty of time to get to know each other.

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 _ **A/N:** Yaay, the first chapter is done! DBH has been a huge inspiration to start writing again after I haven't written any stories / fanfics in years. There are so many endings and options to discover, but while watching videos on YouTube, I still thought of alternative routes that I'd like to implement into the story. Stay tuned everyone! :)_


	2. Chapter 2 - Two Pairs of Eyes

Chapter 2 – Two pairs of eyes

„Good morning, Sofia!" Chloe greets me with an enthusiastic tone. "It's time to wake up!" I turn around in my bed, mumbling to myself. _Can't' she just give me five more minutes?_ Clearly amused by behavior she starts chuckling. "I'm sorry, but I was tasked with waking you up – and that is _exactly_ what I am going to do." She sits down at the other end of my bed. "I got you some breakfast to start the day. After all, there is be quite a lot to be done today." The excitement in her voice can clearly be heard.

After some inner resistance and lots of mumbling I manage to get out of bed. Immediately I notice the smell of freshly baked buns in the air. "Hm… that smells amazing!" I sit down at the table. As I am building my own breakfast sandwich, Chloe pours some juice into a glass and hands it over to me. "Thank you!" I try to say with my mouth full of food. Thankfully, nothing falls out of it. Chloe responds with another chuckle. "You're welcome. Enjoy your meal!" I eat my sandwich without saying another word. For some reason, I can't keep my eyes off her. There is something in my brain that is still processing all what has happened yesterday. It still feels so much like a dream, and part of me really wants to believe that it is one.

"Are you alright?" Her voice rips me out of my inner monologue. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I was just lost in thoughts for a moment." I drink the last bit of orange juice left in the glass and take all the dirty dishes to the kitchen. As I am washing them, I notice Chloe staring out the window. The weather outside is much better than yesterday. "We're lucky!" I realize. "Today's a great day for an expedition!" An awkward smile forms on my lips. "It's gonna be great, you'll see!" _I can't believe that I'm actually doing this..._

I get up, stretch myself for a moment and enjoy the sunlight shining through the window. This is the first time in weeks that I notice just how warm daylight can be. With each minute that passes, I feel like my body gradually getting warmer, my mind becoming clearer. It is as if the sun attempts to wash away all my doubts and worries. However, I know that it just isn't that easy. There is one particular question that I can't ban from my mind. One thing that has been lingering there for quite some time. "Do you think that... androids and humans could be friends someday?" Although I intended to keep the question for myself, my mouth opens on its own. "... that maybe, just maybe, we can live together in peace?" Right now, the relationship between androids and humans is a rather difficult one. Supporters and skeptics have both been around from the very beginning, but the balance between the two sides keeps changing on a whim. The overall opinion of androids depends on how the media portrayed them. With more and more deviants wandering around the city, the people of Detroit have become more and more cautious. _Well, who can blame them,_ my inner voice proclaims, _God knows what they will end up doing to this world._

Judging by the way Chloe is looking at me, I guess the thought never crossed her mind. To be fair, she clearly has other things to worry about. "I'm not certain," she admits reluctantly, "... but I sincerely hope that we will at some point in the future." What she says is not much, though it calms me down a bit. Who knows, maybe humans and androids want to achieve the same goals after all. "Yeah... So do I." After a brief moment I put the freshly cleaned dishes back into the cupboard. "I just hope that humans aren't too stubborn to listen. We are afraid of the unknown, things that are _different_ , and tend to act without thinking because of that. Throughout history, humanity had more than enough conflicts and civil wars. We don't need another one – especially not against our own creations." Considering the recent events, there is no doubt that there will be some sort of conflict. Humanity hasn't changed at all in that regard.

"Well, I guess there's no need to worry about that further. It's time to get dressed! We need to check if my clothes fit you." I gesture Chloe to follow me to my room, which consists of a large bed, a wardrobe and a drawer. Said drawer is almost empty, since I didn't really have much to begin with. My father insisted that I should take it with me when I moved out a few years ago. I remember that he built it for me during my first summer vacation, because my toys were spread all across my room. I could never stick to one toy, so I switched them out every once in a while. What I didn't do, however, was clean my room up afterwards – that is until he put the shelf into the room. He even allowed me to decorate it with different kinds of stickers, which I removed one by one as I got older.

"Let's see what we have here..." I take out a selection of clothes from my wardrobe and let Chloe browse through it. Admittedly, none of my clothing is particularly fancy, as I pay more attention to comfort rather than the current fashion trends. Nevertheless, I'm surprised just how much different someone looks in another person's clothing - or is it the other way around? To be fair, so far I have only seen Chloe in this short, worn dress. However, since winter is approaching, it only seems reasonable to give her some warmer attire. Not because Chloe needs it, but because humans do. Having her stand out is not exactly the best idea, considering the types of people around me. _God knows what Rob and the others would do to her if they found out about this..._

Every once in a while, Chloe picks up some of my clothes and asks me all kinds of questions: Where I got it from, when I bought it, why I bought it... I am not sure whether she keeps asking because she is unsure of what to wear, or because she tries to find out more about me. "You're really a curious one, aren't you?" Over the course of twenty minutes she manages to spread all my clothes across the floor, closely analyzing every little detail, as if it would help her find clues to uncover my personality. "I don't mind answering your questions, but maybe you should pick something to wear first? We'll never be able to check out the city if you're still trying to pick your outfit." Once again I look around my messy room, smiling a little. "Not to mention that we need to clean up first!" "Y-You're right," she said, "I apologize. It's just that..." She looks down at her feet. "I haven't exactly worn anything else beside this dress. I'm not quite sure what attire suits me." We both stare at each other, unsure of what to do with this sea of fabrics around us. "Yeah, I guess that _is_ pretty strange to you. Let me help you out." I pick up some sweaters as well as a pair of jeans and put them on my bed. They all vary in shape and color, which gives me the chance to pick an outfit that fits my mood pretty much every day. "I heard that colors like brown and creme are supposed to be _hip_ this season, so let's go with that. Here, try that one!" In one quick motion I grab the sweater and throw it over to Chloe, only to hit her face in the process. "Oops! Sorry, I didn't mean to do that." The sweater gently falls into her hands. Although I try my hardest not to, I suddenly start laughing. This is the first time I'm looking at her perplexed face, and it is absolutely hilarious. "Is something the matter?" she asks me, still unsure of what is happening right now. As I fall into bed from laughter, Chloe starts cleaning up the mess around us, while still holding the one sweater in her hand. Eventually, I manage to gather myself and help her out. Within just a few minutes, the room went back to looking the way it used to. "Alright! We're done here! You can get dressed now."

I swiftly close the wardrobe and turn around to see Chloe reach for the zipper at the back of her dress. "Woah, woah, woah! What are you doing?!" She turns to me in surprise, while her dress ever so elegantly finds its way to the ground. In this moment, there is just a small line of fabric covering the most _critical_ parts of her artificial body. "C-Can't you just wait until I leave?!" I manage to stutter before exiting the room and slamming the door behind me. "Just... tell me when you're ready, you hear?" Still a bit baffled, I walk over to the hallway and put on my shoes and jacket. Furthermore, I pick up my bag which lies just above the shoe cabinet and store all my valuables inside. "Let's see... My phone, my wallet, my diary... Yeah, that should be it. Oh, there you are!" As Chloe steps closer towards me, I notice that she walks just a little bit differently all of a sudden. "How do I look?" she asks me, wearing a tender smile on her face. "You look amazing!" I assure her, and her smile grew all the bigger. "We have to go shopping some time. I'm sure it'll be fun! There's so much for you to try out." Thinking of all the different things we can do in this city alone... It almost makes me feel forget about the situation I'm currently in. Somehow, having someone by my side who is unaware of the world's problems is... refreshing. Then again, is she programmed to _have_ an opinion? I always considered androids to be impartial in order to avoid conflicts and arguments. They are supposed to do what they are told – and nothing else.

"Shall we depart?" Chloe stands behind me expectantly. Clearly she's eager to explore the city. As much as I would like to share her joy, there is a thought lurking in the back of my mind. _What if anyone sees me with her?_ I try to shake it off, this atmosphere filling up these four walls. There is a part of me that genuinely wants to trust her. The question is: Can I really be sure that what she's saying is the truth? How do I know she really lost her memory? How do I know what her _actual_ intentions are? For now, I just have to stay low and keep quiet.

This also means covering this strange LED on her temple. "Hey, I think it might be cold outside. Take this." I hastily grab two beanies and offer one to Chloe. "I'm not sure how you androids work, but it wouldn't hurt to keep you warm, don't you think?" Again I pretend to smile to make sure she doesn't suspect anything. She graciously accepts the offer and puts the beanie on her head. So do I, after opening the door and stepping into the hallway. "Let's go!"

Although it is still quite early, the streets in the town center are filled with people. In the last few years, the city of Detroit has developed into a melting pot for technology as a whole – despite its rough history with the automotive industry. More and more companies rediscovered Detroit as a starting point for their businesses, which in turn helped the city prosper. For the longest time, the citizens of Detroit were living a peaceful, carefree life. Everyone could afford a nice, comfortable home and food on their tables. To be honest, I don't remember ever having seen homeless people when I was a child. No one was wandering through the city, begging for money as a last resort to give their families at least _something_ to eat. There was no crowd rioting because they felt like the government _abandoned_ them. Nowadays, things are a lot more different. More and more people leave Detroit, hoping that their situation will improve. However, as this new _technological revolution_ spreads across the country, things are getting more and more out of hand - and so far no one has been able to solve this problem. Regardless, many people try to live their lives like they have before. "Seems like the town is as busy as ever." I carefully observe all the people passing by. A cold atmosphere sets down, no one is paying attention to the other. Wherever I look, people are almost _desperately_ avoiding eye contact. _Geez... Who exactly are the robots here?_

Bright lights and monitors adorn the buildings around us. No matter where I look, my eyes are blinded by the latest news, trends and inventions. Countless voices try to grab my attention in order to advertise a product. The more I subject myself to this chaos, the louder my inner voice becomes. _This is madness… I just want to get out of here…_

Normally, one would expect this turmoil in the afternoon, once work is over and people have some time to spare. Then again, they have much more time on-hand now. And who could forget all the people around here that are _not_ human. In fact, I remember reading a statistic which stated that out of ten people you meet on the streets of Detroit, three of them are actually androids. Only a few small details differentiate them from humans, so it _is_ quite easy to mistake them for regular people when they walk by - they move and talk just like us. However, if you spend more time with one, you will start to notice the differences between humans and androids. For example, Chloe seems to be a lot calmer than me right now. I suppose androids don't feel nervous. _Good for them_.

I intuitively reach for her hand and try to drag her along with me as gently as I can. Together we fight our way through the crowd, dodging people on their phones. Eventually we stop in a small, secluded alley. I notice Chloe's worried glance. "Is everything alright? You don't seem to be feeling well…" I lean against the wall and try to catch my breath. "Sorry… I just… can't deal with so many people…" "You needn't apologize," she answers with her soothing voice, "We will continue as soon as you have calmed down. Just take your time." She carefully places her hand on my shoulder. For some reason this is... actually quite comforting.

After a few minutes we carry on with our tour. The two of us browse through the city's shopping mile, occasionally stopping at the store windows and taking a look at the merchandise being offered. While I can't afford most of those things at the moment, it is still interesting to see what the city has in store – especially with someone as curious a Chloe keeping me company. Other than me, she is absolutely mesmerized by the pictures, the sounds, the smells we encounter on our way. It's almost like taking a small child to a _really_ big toy store. We can't even walk for five minutes straight without her pointing something out to me and asking me questions.

In the early afternoon we stop by a small, plain bakery called "Pally Pastry" to grab a bite. The shop's owner is the mother of one of my childhood friends, Nikolaj. We have known each other since kindergarten and are best friends ever since. Together with his younger twin sisters, Karina and Mara, we spend pretty much every weekend out an about, excited to see what will happen throughout the day. It might sound pretentious, but I am quite sure that there is no one who knows Detroit better than us. When we were children, we explored every nook and cranny, even if we weren't actually allowed to. _Curiosity always gets the better of us, I guess._ _It's surprising we never got into any trouble._

"Sofia! It's good to see you!" The rather short woman at the counter tries to give me a hug. Needless to say, it does not really work. "Hey Veronika", I reply while trying to keep my balance, "You're as energetic as ever, I see. I missed you!" She lets go of me with a wide grin on her face. "Oh, I missed you, too!" Now she looks over to Chloe. "You even brought a friend! What's her name?" As soon as her name is mentioned, Chloe steps forward and holds out her hand. "My name is Chloe. I'm delighted to make your acquaintance." Veronika can't help but laugh. "You can cut the fancy talk." She proceeds to shake her hand firmly. "I'm Veronika, the owner of this nice little hut. Say, have we met before? I don't think I remember your face."

Suddenly, my heart skips a beat. _Damnit_ , I cursed, _I forgot that no one knows her yet! What should I say?_ Within seconds my mind tries to come up with an explanation. "S-she's… a pen pal of mine from… Canada. We're on the same, uh… art forum." I try to look as unsuspicious as I can. Thankfully, she doesn't seem to notice anything odd. We keep talking about this " _art forum",_ how we came to talk to each other and eventually decided to meet in person. Whenever Veronika asks Chloe a question, the two of us try to come up with an answer. The vast amount of information and trivia available to Chloe through her programming _really_ proves to be useful.

"Oh, Canada…" Veronika reminisces for a moment. "I haven't been there in ages. It's really nice!" She looks at a small picture wall behind her, filled with all different kinds of photographs. "With my shop, kids and all that it's really hard to travel, you know?" She lets out a faint sigh, which she quickly replaces with another smile. "But we have each other, and that's all that counts. Isn't that right, Sofia?" Before I know it, she gives me a pat on the head. "Right," I answer with a laugh, "I don't know what I would do without you. You're basically my second family! Speaking of, how about you give us some nicely packed lunch? I'm _starving_!" After hours of walking, a nutritious meal is more than needed. "Say no more! I'll prep something for you two."

And with that, she walks to the back of her little bakery and starts working her magic. About twenty minutes later she comes back, a paper bag in each hand. "There you go! I can guarantee that you'll _love_ it!" She hands us the bags while wearing an _even bigger_ smile than before. "Thanks!" I cheer and raise my arms excitedly. "How much do I owe you?" Yet again, Veronika starts to laugh. "It's on the house, kid. You two should go out and enjoy yourselves." "R-Really?!" I stutter. "Please, just let me pay for it. I feel guilty when you just give me stuff…" Veronika often cooked for me when I was little. Not only that, but she also taught me how to cook to make sure that I ' _always have something warm to eat'._ She is like a substitute mother to me. Just like Rob, she is always there for me when I need her.

"You're the best! But I'll still pay it back some day, I promise." I thank her once more before we take our leave and continue our excursion. Our next destination is the northern part of the city, where most banks, insurance companies and other service providers established their headquarters. In short: It's the _prestigious_ part of Detroit. Each building looks completely different from the other, as everyone tries to stand out from the rest to lure potential customers onto their premises. For regular people like me, this is quite a spectacular sight. "I used to work in this district, you know?" We rest near an artificial water canal that spouts from a well near the Detroit Central Bank. Excitedly I reach into the paper bag to find a pair of bread rolls filled with cheese, ham and a mixture of spices – her secret ingredient hidden in all pastries she makes. Since I already know what to expect, I wolf them all down immediately while I take a look around the area. Right in front of us there is a skyscraper whose windows reflect the sunlight in all possible colors, resulting in multiple rainbows flowing across the glass partition. "See that building?" I ask, still with my mouth full, "My office was on the 32nd floor, but the elevators are lightning-fast, so it won't even take five minutes to get to the top. Hah, good times…"

My memories about my former workplace pop up little by little. I decide to tell Chloe how it started – and how everything suddenly came to an end. "I'm so terribly sorry to hear that." she states, her facial expressions changing into a somewhat worried glance. "This must have been incredibly difficult to you…" I shake my head in response to her reaction. Of course, losing my job was quite the shock, but it's not the end of the world. "Nah, I'll find a new job eventually. Don't worry about it." _It's not like you can help me with that,_ I catch myself thinking. I know my situation is not her fault, but since she is an android, I can't help but hold a grudge against her.

"Alright," I add after a short break, "Let's keep going. There are still parts we didn't see yet." While we are walking, I quickly check my phone for the latest updates. There is a major discussion about androids going on in the F&B group chat. After reading through the first couple of messages, I decide that I definitely do _not_ want to take part in this discourse – especially since Chloe might accidentally read parts of it. _I don't want any trouble with her just yet..._

To avoid the oncoming rush hour, I decide to take a small detour through the park. Up until a few years ago, this comfortable patch of green used to be just another square with office buildings. These buildings were quite old, so the city announced to break them down and create the park instead. These measures quickly found the public's approval and were conducted within a period of four months - yet again with the help of CyberLife. There are already quite a number of public gardens in Detroit, but none of them are as large as this one.

The sun is just about to set; only half of it can be seen on the horizon. Although it's merely mid-August, the ground is already covered by a layer of auburn leaves. It also starts to get noticeably colder. _Thank goodness_ , I sigh in relief, _finally we're gonna have decent temperatures._

We sit on a bench right in front of the lake and relax for a moment. "Phew! I'm beat!" My joints creak as I carefully stretch my body. "It's been a while since I've done a full day trip. Feels great!" For a brief moment I close my eyes and enjoy the calm atmosphere. _If only it was always as quiet as it is now…_ "It was quite the thrilling day, don't you think?" I ask Chloe who observes a flock of birds resting on a tree. "Quite so!" she laughs, "But that is only due to such an _exceptional_ guide like you!" As much as I hate to admit it, her words give me the confidence boost I desperately need right now. I scratch my head and mumble, "It was nothing, honestly… I just thought that going around the city would help you remember something." It's still so bizarre that I just found Chloe in the middle of the night with no memories. From what I can tell so far, she really doesn't seem to have bad intentions. Still, I can't bring myself to fully trust her as long as I don't know what she was initially programmed for. _I probably can't just walk into a CyberLife store and ask them about her…_

Keeping an eye on her is the best I can do for now.

Chloe gazes into the distance. "I hoped so as well, but… I still have no access to the CyberLife network…" She squints her eyes and then looks at the ground. "I even ran multiple diagnostics. However, I was unable to find anything out of the ordinary." The LED on her temple flashes yellow for a split second before she clenches her fists. "Then why is it that I cannot recall _anything_?" she mourns; her body shakes slightly. At this point it is very clear just _how much_ this bothers her. I've never seen her this… emotional before.

"Don't worry," I try to reassure her, "I'm sure we'll find out what happened to your memories. We just need to take one step at a time, and then we'll find clues eventually. But... Where do we start?" My initial optimism is quickly damped by reality. With absolutely no clue to follow, it will be ridiculously difficult to recover her memory. "Maybe," I consider, "Maybe we should got to the police? I'm sure they can help us." At this point it seems like the most logical thing to do. After all, one can bring all kinds of lost items there – why not try and hand over a lost android? "They might be able to contact CyberLife. After all, the missing data must be _somewhere_ in that virtual brain of yours." No matter what you delete from your computer, there is always a way to retrieve it – and CyberLife is our best bet at doing just that.

"Yes," Chloe agrees after short pause, "I think you are right." We both agree that we will go to the police department tomorrow morning. It's definitely better than keeping her in my apartment. _I don't want them to think that I kidnapped her or something…_ "Then that settles it," I conclude, "but for now, we should better head back to my place. It's almost dark."

As I look around the park, memories of yesterday find its way back into my mind. It all looks exactly like it did yesterday. Dozens of street lamps provide just enough light to see the contours of anyone passing by. _Lucky me_ , I realize, _I could have been ambushed by a serial killer or something._ Then again, this might just be what happened to poor Chloe. All those scars and bruises covering her body… Suddenly, a shiver runs through me. Why is it that Chloe was left in such a state anyway? Was she… abused by someone? _Hopefully it's not the person we're looking for…_

For now, I push the thought aside and take Chloe back to my apartment. _We'll find out sooner or later,_ I convince myself as we enter my home. I take off my jacket and head straight to the kitchen, where I take a bowl of leftovers out of the fridge and warm it up in the microwave. Chloe is sitting right on the opposite side of the table. She tries to start a conversation with me by telling me how much she enjoyed our trip today. Out of courtesy I let her speak; I try to make a few sounds here and there to show her that I'm listening. In reality, however, I'm lost in thought. Ever since I found her, there has been some sort of feeling in the back of my head. A feeling that something big is about to begin – something much, _much_ bigger than I realize at this moment.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Woohoo! Here's the second chapter for y'all! It took me forever to write because of my work, but now I'm at it again. Hopefully, the third chapter will be done a little bit sooner, so I won't keep you waiting for too long. :)_


	3. Chapter 3 - A Certain Uncertainty

Chapter 3 – A Certain Uncertainty

Just like the previous day Chloe wakes me up, though she is not as energetic this time around. The two of us quickly get ready after my morning routine, and together we head to the police department. "Let's hope they can help us out…" I mutter as we are waiting for the next bus to arrive. My feet are still sore from yesterday, so I choose the simple way and use public transport. It takes just a bit over ten minutes to get back to the city center. That is quite astounding, considering the city's size and amount of traffic.

I confidently walk ahead as we leave the bus station. "Alright, follow me." The police department is located right between the Detroit Central Bank and the main station; it is a rather small building compared to the other two. Nevertheless, it still looks very modern. A large screen right next to the entrance door shows the latest news, updates and breakthroughs regarding the current investigations. Through this, the police encourage the local residents to report anything suspicious or provide clues to a running case. Last year the city proudly presented its crime statistics: The number of offenses solved and criminals convicted has more than doubled in the last few years – until now at least. Since those _deviants_ started running around, it is safe to assume that the overall number of crimes has increased _a lot_. Thankfully, I was never involved in one.

The automatic door smoothly opens as we step in front of it. The counter is currently unoccupied, so we sit down on the nearby seats and wait. In the meantime, a handful of police officers pass by. I notice the two types of uniforms – one for human policemen, the other for police androids. The former is just a plain black uniform; the latter, however, is designed in dark blue with all kinds of small details, like the reflecting blue stripes covering the seams. _I guess CyberLife isn't only good at designing robots._ As I observe them, I can't help but be impressed, but also intimidated by this company's creations. However, not everyone seems to feel the same way.

An older man with long grey hair walks in; he wears a worn brown leather jacket with a blue shirt underneath, a black pair of trousers as well as black shoes which are covered in dirt and dust. The air is immediately filled with the smell of cigarettes. _Who the hell is that?_ I ask myself while he scuffs towards us. "Hey. What's your problem?" He crosses his arms and tries to keep his balance. "Hello sir," I reply politely and point to Chloe, "A couple of days ago I found this android that lost its memory, and I would like to report it missing." Admittedly, calling Chloe _it_ is still so bizarre, even though I know that she's not human.

The man shakes his head in disbelief, followed by a false laugh. "Ah geez, these fucking androids," he curses, "These things aren't as perfect as everyone thinks they are, huh?" His laughter becomes a bit louder. "How pathetic!" And with that he goes off, but not without taking a closer look at Chloe first. He warns me: "You better be careful around her, kid! These things are no good." Then he goes inside, sits down at a desk and opens a beverage can. "What the hell is that guy's problem?" I try to swallow my anger. _And he calls himself a policeman? What a joke!_ I catch myself observing him as time goes by. From what I can tell, he's a very hot-headed, if not _aggressive_ type of person. _Let's hope I won't meet him again anytime soon._

Eventually, the receptionist returns to her desk. She kindly greets us, and I depict the situation. "Hm… that really is odd," she says while simultaneously typing something on her keyboard. "Lucky for you, we have some experts from CyberLife for cases like this." One moment later she hands over the visitor's passes and guides us to a table in the back of the building. I gasp in surprise: "Holy... what is this mess?". The desk is covered with with all kinds of cables, lights, tools and spare parts. It's hard to believe anyone even _works_ here. Yet, a young man is sitting right in front of us. He seems to be absolutely focused on the computer screen that is merely a few inches away from his face. From what I can tell, he looks just like the typical _nerd_ \- short, messy, blonde hair, a large pair of glasses and a proper shirt that is covered by a tight-fitting brown pullover. "Hey there, Garry!" the receptionist greets him, "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but this young lady needs your help."

As soon as he hears the words _young lady_ , he crawls out from under the desk, but not before hitting his head three times. "Ouw!" he moans and scratches his head, "That table _really_ doesn't like me…" He pushes some of the cables aside, most of which end up on the ground. "Yeah… I'll clean that up later. Anyway, my name is Garry Vermont, I'm working for CyberLife and I was tasked with supporting the police during their investigations. Nice to meet you!" After a casual handshake and a brief introduction I tell him about what is going on. "That sounds pretty tough. However…" Carefully, he takes out a small toolbox from under his desk and proudly states: "This is something we will have fixed in no time! Follow me, please."

He explains that an android's memories are never fully erased, they are just made unavailable to anyone who is not a CyberLife employee. "It's one of the company's strictest safety measures. Not only that, but every single piece of information is deleted as soon as the androids return to our factories. We just want to make sure that sensitive information can't be stolen or copied." Garry then continues to talk about all kinds of IT-related topics, but since I'm not as knowledgeable as him, I just gently smile and nod whenever he says something.

In the meantime, we reach one of the interrogation rooms. He sets up his laptop and opens a program on it. "What are you going to do now?" I ask him a bit anxiously, which he notices quite quickly and calms me down: "Not much, don't worry. I just need to connect her to my laptop and access the protected memory. It won't take long." Ten more minutes pass until all the preparations are made. In those ten minutes I can't help but feel more and more anxious, even though Garry tries his best to comfort me. The fact that Chloe is just sitting there with a bland face and not saying a word doesn't really help me either. _I wish I could be a calm as her right now…_

For good measure, I ask Garry one more time: "A-Are you sure that nothing can go wrong? I don't want to doubt you, but I also don't want her to get hurt or anything…" His response is a nod and a gentle smile on his face. "I've done this so many times," he declares, "...and nothing bad has happened so far. I know you're scared, but I promise you, she'll be alright."

He types in a few more lines of code and lays out the last bundle of cables. "Alright, that should be it. The only thing that's left is connecting her to the network." Satisfied with his work, he claps his hands a few times to brush off the dust. After that he looks over to Chloe. "Are you ready?" He receives a quick, yet firm nod from her as an answer. "Yes. I'm ready. Let us begin."

In order to not interrupt the process, I am asked to go to the room next door. It is seperate from the interrogation room; only a wide darkened window connects them. Regardless, we can still hear what is happening on the other side due to the microphones which are installed there. A police officer supervises the entire procedure to make sure that everything goes according to protocol.

For the last step, Chloe is required to deactivate the artificial skin around her neck. Below it are a couple of tiny plugs. "This might tweak a little," Garry says while he cautiously plugs in the cables one by one, each one makes a damp clicking sound that sends a shiver down my spine. Afterwards he returns to his computer at the opposite side of the table and, yet again, vigorously types something on his keyboard.

 _This is it_ , I tell myself, _the moment of truth._

Silence fills the room. No one dares to speak even one word; we all just stare at Chloe and await some sort of reaction. At the moment, Chloe just sits there, her eyes occasionally switch back and forth. She occasionally shows hints of a reaction: a tender smile, a quiet gasp, a shocked stare - but only for a fraction of a second before she returns to her neutral, expressionless self. Meanwhile, Garry keeps a close eye on the monitor. Whenever he notices something in the data, he furrows his brow and looks back to her.

This trial of patience goes on for ten, fifteen, twenty minutes without any new insight.

To beat my boredom I distract myself with the latest news. The internet is flooded with reports about CyberLief's most recent prototype with the designation RK800 - a model specifically designed to aid the police forces with cases that revolve around deviant androids. Last night, a special unit managed to detect and neutralize a deviant which killed its owners and took their daughter hostage on the roof. Thankfully, the girl was merely injured slightly, though she was obviously traumatized by the incident. However, if it hadn't been for this ' _android negotiator_ ', the situation would have played out much more differently. "That's insane…" I mumble to myself. The concept of an android hunting down other androids seems so… bizarre for some reason, even though I can't explain why.

As I put my phone back into my pocket, Garry announces: "The program's 80% done. Once it's finished I can start analyzing the data." _Finally_ , I cheer internally, _the mysteries of her past will be solved at last._

Now I get back to observing. The atmosphere tenses up more and more - I just can't sit still, no matter how much I try. In one moment, I get up and walk around, then I sit down again and do something, _anything_ , on my phone to make sure I don't stare into the other room for too long. That is until we hear Garry mutter something to himself: "Hm… that's odd."

I look up in surprise. Even though it's only faintly, I can still see her hands twitch every now and then. She also looks a lot more… disoriented for some reason, and she frantically scans the room like there is something happening. "Garry?" I ask, trying to suppress the creeping unease in my voice. "Is something wrong?" Unfortunately for me, I do not receive an answer, which makes the entire situation even worse. He redirects my question to her instead.

"Chloe? Is something the matter?" Slowly, he gets up from his seat and walks over to her. At this point, the initial disorientation gradually turns into _fear_. Her eyes widen in shock, her body starts shaking intensely, and she opens her mouth a handful of times but doesn't say anything. "N-No…" she stutters eventually, "Y-You can't...!" The chair she sits on scrapes against the floor as she slides back a little. Her arms are crossed before her chest - a clear sign of her attempting to protect herself. "Don't… don't come any closer! **Leave me ALONE!** "

A loud bang echoes within the room. Chloe ends up on the floor in the blink of an eye, the broken chair lying to her left. She crawls to the nearest wall, desperately grasping for air. The computer that she had been plugged to is also lying on the ground, and so are the cables that connected her to it. She continues to whisper, to beg for mercy and ultimately curls up into a ball.

No matter how much Garry tries to reason with her, she is trapped in this state of anxiety - and nothing he does helps her snap out of it. "It's no use," he admits reluctantly, "I have to wait until she's calmed down." I can clearly see just how worn out he is by all this. After all, seeing an android have a mental breakdown is not an everyday occurrence. "Let's hope that'll happen quickly…"

I can't help but let out a loud sigh. "This is madness… Honestly, I… I don't want to imagine what she's been through..." Deep down I blame myself for the state she's currently in. I just want to help her find out who she was, but I never imagined it to turn out like _this_.

After a moment of respite, Garry allows us to enter the interrogation room as well. We help him clean up the mess while we keep an eye on her from time to time, just to make sure that she doesn't do anything rash. "Alright," I say as I hand over the last batch of cables, "That should be it. But… what do we do with her?" Even after we removed everything, Chloe still refuses to move, though it does not look like she is as shocked as before. Garry seems to have noticed it as well: "Looks like she's calming down. That's a good sign - Well… as good as it can be, at least." He swiftly gestures me to follow him. "Come on, let's get her out of here."

A large shadow covers her body as we approach her. She immediately flinches, tightening her grip around her arms. "Chloe…" I whisper warmly, "It's me, Sofia." I kneel down and lay my hand on hers. It's… incredibly warm. "You're gonna be okay. There's no one here to harm you, you hear? We're here to watch out for you."

Out of nowhere she goes quiet. No whimpering, no begging, no tears. She only sobs one last time before lifting her head ever so slowly. To my surprise, she has a smile on her face, albeit a very faint one. "Y-You're right… My apologies." Her smile widens, though it's obvious that she fakes it this time around. I try to brush it of. "D-Don't apologize!" I stutter, "We were just r-really worried about you, you know? You… broke down, just like that." The mere thought of what happened sends shivers down my spine. "But… it's fine now. We'll protect you." I , too, show a hint of a smile, hoping that it will comfort her.

I help her stand up and guide her to a small room. Since she is an android, there is no need for a hotel room, so Garry and the police want to keep her here until they are done with their investigation. "There's always someone in the building," he confirms, "Chloe will be safe here, and you can stop by and visit her any time."

He tells me that he informed Captain Jeffrey Fowler about the incident. "Captain Fowler is holding an internal meeting as we speak. He wants to make sure that whatever happened to her will be cleared up as fast as possible." A loud sigh escapes from his lips. "I can already tell that this is going to be a long night…"

With that, he retreats to his desk and starts analyzing the data he received earlier. At first him and I continue our conversation, but after a while he slips into his own inner world, once again glued to the computer's screen. I write my contact information on a piece of rough paper and put it right in front of the screen to make sure he sees it once he wakes up from his trance.

I bid everyone goodbye and head towards the building's exit. Before I leave, however, I take a look at the old man's desk one more time. He is just sitting there, a beer in his hand, and yelling at his screen. The first and only question in my mind is: _Is he seriously watching a sports game right now?!_ But I convince myself to ignore it and go my way.

Without Chloe by my side, the city feels much emptier. All the things that fascinated her become completely ordinary, all the colors start to fade. There it is again: This feeling of mind-numbing emptiness which held me captive before we met. I don't even remember where I walk until a message from Mara rips me out of this limbo:

 _Hey Sof! Vince & the others are gonna meet up the skate park tonight, they say it's something REALLY big. Wanna come over later? :D_

The term "really big" leaves me with a bad feeling. From what I can tell, Vincent and his group should definitely be put into the "troublemaker" category. I sometimes overhear people talking about them in the F&B. One of the things which stands out is the fact that they damaged quite a number of androids under the screen of night - and some of them even ended up in jail for it. Pretty much everyone in the group ended up losing their jobs because of androids. _Okay I get it,_ I argue with myself, _but beating androids up doesn't solve anything. What a waste of time, honestly. Stil, what else can I do? I already spent most of the day walking around the city…_

As much as I hate to admit it, meeting up with Mara is the best option I have to fight this gloomy feeling of mine. I type out a short response:

 _Yeah, why not? What time? :)_

She sends me a screenshot of Vince's most recent update on his social media containing the date, time and address as well as a short, yet cryptic description of this _really big_ event.

The clock on my phone shows me that it is now 2 PM. There is still plenty of time to be spent before we meet up. "Hm… what should I do now?" I mumble to myself, though I obviously can't expect an answer. Instead I create a mental list of all the places I usually visit: The F&B, the park, the shopping street, and last but definitely not least the _Experiencia de Arte Contemporánea_ , or EAC for short. It's a museum which is located near the river that runs through the southern parts of the city, not too far from Belle Isle. Needless to say, the view from the balcony is absolutely astounding, but so are the paintings offered in each hall within the museum. The displays switch out every month to make sure that there is always something new and interesting to marvel at. However, established artists around the area get their own permanent display. One might say that they are the city's shining stars in the art industry.

In the wink of an eye I take a seat in the next bus headed southward. The sun shines brightly as we drive, even though there is a light layer of fog covering the ground. In the distance one can see the Detroit River, as well as all the houses and skyscrapers positioned alongside it. There even is a compact theme park with different kinds of attractions, most of which stand out due to their bright lights and illuminated panels. Just looking at it makes me happier. _That's what I call an eye catcher!_

As the bus heads closer to my destination, the environment around me gradually turns greener. Small parks and meadows pop up here and there; it looks like they are well-patronized, too. Seeing this almost helps me forget how tense the atmosphere is right now. All these arguments and assaults have scarred the citizens quite a bit, be it physically or mentally. It's great to see that there are still so many people who enjoy themselves.

Finally, the bus stops near the museum. I thank the driver and slowly head towards the building. A fresh breeze blows across the area, shaking off the gold-brown leaves that end up on the still verdurous grass. Countless birds around me chirp their melodies and playfully glide through the air, and eventually rest on one of the many branches.

I take a deep breath and open myself to the silence. It's surprising how calm it can be in a city as large as Detroit. Usually, the entire city is filled with people roaming the streets, vehicles that are stuck in traffic, as well as far too many construction sites. It doesn't matter at what time you are out and about, there is always something going on. That is why I am all the happier about those small spaces which give the impression that time stands still; this unswerving solitude that becomes more and more addicting as you just sit down and let it all sink in.

I flinch as a gray dove flies right above my head, tearing me out of my inner world. A few moments pass until I manage to find my way back into reality and walk over to the museum's entrance, where I am immediately greeted by the three cashiers. Since I come here at least once a week, there is no need for an extensive conversation. We simply exchange a few friendly words before I walk into the entrance hall.

Large screens showcase the current displays. One of them is from a young woman named Veil, an internet phenomenon and an exceptionally gifted graffiti artist. Her social media pages are followed by several million people across the whole country, and thanks to co-operations like these she has gained quite a good reputation. Many discussions and movements started because of her "scribbles" on the wall, since most of them carry a politically motivated message. What is interesting about it however, is that she never sticks to one side, but rather presents both sides of the coin and lets the spectator decide which statement they want to support.

 _That sounds interesting,_ I agree with myself and take the stairs to the second floor. Unsurprisingly, the hall is absolutely crowded. I fight my way through to the first exhibit: An arm with a gaping wound through which one can see the flesh, but instead of a bone there is a metal rod with a shining blue core. A small group next to me argues heatedly about the meaning of this artwork. One says it's about mechanical implants which are becoming more and more common, the other mentions a statistic about physical abuse of androids, and another draws the conclusion that, at some point, humans and androids might exist as one instead of being separate entities. It honestly is quite interesting to listen to them - at least until the discussion gets out of control with other people joining in. Suddenly it turns into loud a loud dispute about the pros and cons, where no one actually listens to what the other side has to say. _Okay, that's it_ , I sigh internally, _Time to get out of here_.

I hastily make my way back to the main hall. The mellow music in the background is drowned by my own breathing as I gasp for air. Thankfully, it doesn't take long until I'm back to normal.

One floor higher, I skim through the smaller displays, occasionally stopping to examine the paintings and photographs that were created by the rather unknown artists. It's quite ironic to say that there are so many traditional artists in a city dominated by the technology industry. Then again, this offers an interesting mixture of thoughts and ideas from which either side can benefit.

A prime example of this is, of course, Carl Manfred. His art style has changed significantly over the years, mainly because he began to accept not only Markus as his caretaker android, but technology in general. Before that - in his early beginnings as an artist - he often voiced his criticism towards technological progress and how much we depend on it to this day. However, it seems that Markus greatly influenced him. I wonder if Chloe will do the same to me?

The top floor houses a display entirely dedicated to Carl's paintings. They all vary in size; his tallest paintings almost reach all the way up to the ceiling. I quickly scan the room to see if there are any new artworks to look at, but nothing has changed from last week, so I just start walking around. From time to time I halt to take a closer look, just to see if I can discover any more hidden details or secrets. Whenever I notice something I haven't seen before, I tend to overanalyze it. Many artists leave their own personal messages and stories on their canvases - and it's up to the viewer to uncover them.

As I come closer towards the exit, I detect a painting that I remember quite well: A large tree made of metal, surrounded by crumbling buildings with the picture of a crying boy and the mechanical arm painted on one of them. It's the painting Chloe found in one of my art books.

"It's truly magnificent, isn't it?" A deep, pleasant voice suddenly fills the room. I immediately turn my head around to see a man walking towards me from just a few feet away. Upon closer inspection, I realize that this is not just some ordinary man. His tall statue, his dark brown hair that's been tied into a man bun, his casual outfit, his striking face - The man before me is none other than the founder and former CEO of CyberLife, Elijah Kamski.

He positions himself right beside me while wearing a light smile on his face.

"Y-Yes," I stutter nervously, "You're right. These paintings are absolutely impressive." I do my best not to stare at him and instead focus on the painting in front of us, though I admit that it is a lot harder than I first thought.

To fight the silence, I continue our short conversation: "I've never met him in person, and yet I feel so... connected to him, in a way. His art shows so much of his personality and what he's been through in life. There's no need for words - it's all right there, on the canvas."

I quietly chuckle a little. "Then again, I don't need to tell _you_ that, do I? I've heard that you already are quite a huge fan of his." The fact that Kamski is a fan of Carl is quite known. According to the media, he has spent vast sums of money at auctions, since Carl's paintings are very sought-after. The two of them also show up at the same events most of the time or invite each other to their respective homes for a little chat.

Simply put: If someone asked me to define what being a dedicated fan is like, Kamski would definitely be one of my first examples.

He looks away for a moment, scratching the back of his head. "Is that so? Well, I suppose I never made much of a secret out of it. After all, there's no reason _not_ to admire his talent." His eyes are drawn back to the picture almost automatically. "Say..." he asks after a short break, "What do you think of this painting?"

Suddenly, a shiver runs down my spine. I know exactly that Carl painted this picture because of Markus, so I conclude that Kamski wants to know how I feel about androids. _I have to be careful not to say anything wrong..._

"I really like it," I answer truthfully, "At first glance it looks quite sad, but I can see some sort of… glimmer of hope in it." I point out the overall contrast of the atmosphere: Old against new, darkness against light, destruction against creation. "It's clear that he is conflicted about today's technology, but I can also see how he's slowly leaning towards the ' _light_ ' side, especially when you compare it to his other projects. I guess meeting you had quite the impact on him."

He laughs loftily, yet still quietly to not disturb the other visitors. "Yes, I suppose. My creations changed the lives of many, didn't they?" Now his laughter turns into a pretentious grin. "What about you?" he asks, "What do _you_ think about androids?"

I hesitate for a moment. How much should I tell him? Should I mention Chloe, the people at the F&B or the incident with the little girl on the rooftop? _No,_ I remind myself, _I should just keep my feet still for now - at least until I know what he's going for._

My answer is a simple shrug. "I don't know, to be honest. I've heard so many different things about them, both good and bad. That said, there were hardly any of them in my area, only the usual service androids. I don't think that I can form an _unbiased_ opinion based on that - at least not right now."

From what I can tell, Kamski doesn't seem too surprised by my answer. He simply mumbles "Right..." before he turns away again. "We'll just have to wait and see, huh?"

Suddenly, something starts ringing. Kamski pulls out his phone from his pocket, unlocks it and stares at the screen for a moment. Afterwards he puts it back while shaking his head in disappointment.

Once again he turns towards me, this time raising his arm for a handshake. "Anyway, I _unfortunately_ have some business to attend to. It was a pleasure talking to you."

I hesitantly accept the gesture. "T-The pleasure was mine, sir."

And with that, he disappears into the distance, leaving my baffled self behind. It takes me a few minutes to get my mind back to the real world and head to the bus station. There are still a couple of hours left until I meet with Mara and the others, so I go downtown and observe the usual turmoil.

As the sun slowly starts to set, I can't help but feel increasingly nervous. I have no idea what is going to happen tonight, since Vince is absolutely unpredictable. Just thinking about what he might have in store gives me a headache.

 _I really hope this doesn't get out of control..._

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _The third chapter is finally done! It turned out much longer than I expected it to, but I'm glad it's done!_

 _Thanks to all of you who followed the story this far. I'll make sure to write and post the next chapters as soon as I can. :)_


	4. Chapter 4 - Lion Prides And Lone Wolves

Chapter 4 – Lion Prides And Lone Wolves

As soon as the sun vanishes behind the horizon, the skate park fills with more and more people. It does not take long until the entire place is crowded with teenagers and young adults, casually chatting as if there is a show which is just about to begin.

I eventually discover Mara within the mass of people. She's talking to some of her classmates whom she probably dragged along, as well as a handful of other people I'm unable to recognize.

"Hey Mara!" I greet her and wave my hands enthusiastically. As soon as she sees me, she comes running towards me and hugs me tightly. "Hey Sofia! I'm so glad you came by!" She gently pulls me over to her group of friends, and introduces them all to me. If I'm completely honest, I won't be able to remember their names unless I see them a second or even a third time. Nevertheless, I greet them kindly and introduce myself.

Together we fight our way towards the middle of the park. One of the half pipes has been repurposed into a stage - it even has improvised headlights and a large black curtain. Furthermore, there are a handful of barrels spread across the park, two of them right next to the stage. They are all filled with wood which was lit in order to provide a source of warmth for everyone. After all, winter is gradually approaching.

"I wonder what all that fuss is about," I loudly say to myself. Now that I think about it, it reallydoes look like there will be a show of sorts. "Don't tell me he is a magician or something."

The others immediately break out in laughter. "You mean with a hat and a cape and stuff? That'd be so hilarious, oh my god!" Mara's laugh gets louder. Eventually she has to stop and catch her breath. One of her friends playfully pats her on the back with a large grin on his face. A bit exhausted, Mara gasps: "Okay fine, I'll keep my fanfiction material to myself. But if it turns out to be true, don't you dare to claim that you came up with it!"

We spend the next ten to twenty minutes imagining all kinds of funny or weird scenarios featuring Vince and his crew. To my surprise, some of the people around us join the fun. It does not take long until the first inside jokes and ideas pop up on the usual social media websites. "I think you just created a meme," I tell Mara, who is currently glued to her phone, just like most of us. "I don't think that Vince is going to like that."

Mara is seemingly too busy to give me an answer. Only an occasional giggle tells me that she is still here with us, albeit only physically - At least until a series of loud taps draws our attention to the improvised stage.

A young woman is standing right in front of the curtain and looks around. The wide smile on her face makes it obvious that she is content; she even encourages the crowd to cheer along with her.

As soon as one of her friends hands over the megaphone, her energetic voice echoes across the area: "Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all so much for coming all the way to join us here tonight!" She repeatedly bows low as the audience applauds. "Thank you, thank you! I'm glad to hear that you are just as excited as I am, 'cause we have something great in store for you tonight!" With a quick motion she grabs a rope that is dangling behind her. She plays around with it for a little while before she glances over the audience one more time. "Are you ready?" she asks with a much lower voice.

The crowd goes absolutely wild. I see people screaming, clapping and jumping around without paying any attention to those around them. It's almost impossible to dodge all those who stumble in my direction. Whenever I step aside to gain some space, I just end up bumping into someone else and lose my balance.

"Ugh, for god's sake!" I yell as yet another elbow gets slammed into my face. Eventually my whole body aches from all this struggle, and it's only getting worse minute by minute.

Thankfully, this madness is quickly interrupted by the woman's voice: "Great! That's what I want to hear! So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce… Vincent Hayes!"

A man steps forward from behind the curtain. Once again the screams of the countless people around me fill the air, but this time it's even worse. Vincent indulges in the ovations, a smug grin forming on his lips. He, too, bows down as the crowd keeps cheering; a few streaks of his brown hair fall out of his messy ponytail.

Overall, his appearance can only be described as sloppy: The beard covering his chin is quite scruffy and poorly shaved. He wears an overly large, dark brown jacket, where some of the stitches already came loose, as well as a worn black hoodie, a pair of dark blue jeans with holes in them, and brown boots that are covered in dust. Upon closer inspection, I notice a small _souvenir_ on his face: A black eye, which he most likely got after an intense fight. As curious as I am, I don't really want to know who gave that to him.

As the noise subsides, Vincent takes the microphone and says: "Thank you, everyone, for such a warm welcome! Now, I know that you are _very_ eager to find out what this is all about, right? Let's get right to it, then!"

Out of nowhere a handful of people step out from the audience. They all wear tattered cloaks and hold short metal poles in their hands. The tips of these poles are covered with some kind of dark cloth, while the rest of it has a series of phrases and symbols drawn on it. _Wow,_ I figure, _these guys must be super serious about their little club…_

My attention finds its way back to the stage. Vincent stands there, filled with pride and a hint of excitement. The woman from before passes him the rope, which he tightly holds on to with his left hand. In his right hand, he holds a large metal bat which is partially painted in blue.

"I want y'all to count to three with me, alright? One… Two… Three!"

In a flash, the curtains are drawn back, revealing a group of people kneeling on the floor. They are all lined up in a row, their eyes covered with blindfolds. Not only that, but their hands and feet are tied up behind their backs, so that they won't be able to escape.

"What the fuck…?" I exclaim, unable to grasp what is happening. However, I seem to be the only one who is confused by this - all the others around me, including Mara, are still caught in this state of rapture. The cheering just goes on and on like a clip on repeat.

Finally, Vincent lets go of the rope and steps forward, his arms raised towards his audience. "Tonight will be a night that will be remembered for ages. Tonight, we will finally regain our position in this world. This city, which has been rotten by the greed and arrogance of all the companies and conglomerates, will be cleansed by our own hands."

He places a short dramatic pause to take a deep breath. "It will be a long road ahead, but I know that if we stand together, nothing will be able to stop us. This is our first step to our new future."

With that, he turns around and slowly lets his bat get engulfed by the flame that spouts out from one of the barrels. To my surprise, the blue stains on it slowly evaporate and leave behind a thick, foul-smelling cloud of smoke that spreads across the whole stage. Although I try my best, I simply cannot identify this smell. All I can tell is that it must be something artificial, like a chemical.

Even Vincent struggles with the smoke; he coughs ceaselessly, then covers his mouth with his sweater. After a short moment, the cloud slowly dissolves, though the smell remains just as strong. The bat now has a faint red glow to it.

He takes another long breath before he continues: "We will no longer just sit by and watch! This is our moment of revenge, our moment of _justice_!" With a menacing smile he approaches one of the people who are tied down - a tall man with light blonde hair who is wearing a dark green uniform, which has a few brown pockets sewn onto it. The man twitches as Vincent comes closer. He can probably tell what is going to happen to him. Still, he keeps silent and just sits there with no intention of moving.

Vincent tightly grips the bat with both hands, preparing to strike. Each second that passes sends a shiver down my spine, and I become more and more anxious. "What the hell is he doing...?!" I gasp in shock, only to be interrupted by Vincent screaming:

"Let the hunt begin!"

The man who previously sat on stage is sent flying as the bat hits him in the face with a loud smack. He rolls down, accompanied by the cries of joy from the audience, until he reaches the ground. There, he is immediately greeted by the other members of the group, who now hold flaming rods in their hands.

Although I can't see anything, I can at least hear his screams of pain and agony. If I were able to do it, I would turn off my sense of hearing on the spot.

Only now do I realize why all of this is happening: Within the uproar I can hear words such as _tin can, junk_ or _puppet_. Clearly, they must be talking about androids. Vincent and the others dragged them all the way here to get their revenge on the machines that ruined their lives.

I should have known that it would turn out like this.

Suddenly, the crowd in the front yells in surprise. More and more people around me jump aside as the blond-haired android runs through the masses, trying to escape. Unfortunately, I'm unable to react in time, so he runs into me and knocks us both down in the process. He tries to get up, but the others around us pin him to the ground. At the same time, two young men help me get back on my feet and pull me aside.

As if by command, the group starts kicking him, as well as pulling him by his hair and dragging him across the floor. A voice inside my head commands me to step in, but I know that it's pointless, that I would only bring myself in danger.

Even so, I clench my fists and force myself to fight the urge of charging towards this pile of enraged youngsters.

A few moments later the other androids are also thrown into the wave of people. Whenever they try to escape, someone blocks their path and starts attacking them. Blue fluid eventually drips out of their mouths and noses. They keep screaming, begging for all of this to stop, but their screams are drowned by the masses almost entirely.

Yet, I can still hear them. In fact, the voices of these androids burn themselves into my mind, which is still trying to grasp all that's happening right now. There's too much going on at the same time, too much noise, too much action, too many voices inside my head that are talking over each other.

"A-Are you okay?" Mara asks breathlessly. She looks incredibly exhausted, and her clothes are covered in dust. Maybe she was also caught by this stampede. "Y-You're not hurt, are you?"

Much to her relief, I shake my head in response, even though my entire body aches with every single movement. "I'll be fine," I reassure her, "but I'm _so_ tired of this crap… Let's get out of here before we get hurt."

I somewhat forcefully drag her away from the ongoing riot. From a distance, it all looks nothing short of a war zone: The fire and smoke, the blood spread on the floor, all the injured lying on the ground. Normally I would only see scenarios like these in history books, but this time, everything I witness is happening in real time.

This is not fiction. It's not a dream, either. This is the cold, harsh reality.

"I… I can't believe this…" I whisper as I fall down on my knees. My legs are trembling, my heart's racing. It takes all my strength for me to not just break down and curl up into a ball. "What the hell is happening…?"

Mara, who seems to be just as disoriented as I am, sits down next to me. "I… I don't know," she admits, her hoarse voice is barely loud enough to hear. "But this… this is just completely fucked up…" She takes a few deep breaths. "I know that Vince can't stand androids, and that he's beaten some up before, but… I never imagined he'd do something like that… Man, I wish I would've stayed at home..."

She nervously plucks strands of grass from the ground and puts them on a small pile. It's clear that neither of us are in the mood for talking right now, so I won't force her into it, even if it means dealing with the shock and guilt my inner voices throw at me.

Slowly but surely, the atmosphere starts to shift from aggressive to weary. More and more people lay down whatever objects they hold in their hands and sit down on the muddy ground. Small flames still burn on the ground, though the bigger flames within the barrels have long gone out. Luckily, the street lamps turned on a moment ago, so no one has to sit in the dark after such a horrific scene.

Instead of screams, the only thing that can be heard are groans and curses. All the androids that fell victim to the mob are now lying on the floor, completely motionless and covered in this blue substance. It doesn't look like they are still active.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally convince myself to stand up again. Mara just looks at me with an empty glance - I think she won't respond to me for a while. Still, when I move closer to the half pipe, I can sense that she doesn't take her eyes off me. _Looks like I have a guard dog now_ , I joke to myself, and even manage to smile a little.

"Are you guys alright?" Before me is a small group of teenagers; I assume that the oldest of them is sixteen years old. They look up to me, though most of them can only keep their heads up for a few seconds before staring back at the ground. I notice that most of them are covered in bruises and scars, and they probably lost quite a bit of blood, too.

"Yeah, we'll pull through," a young girl replies. Her black hair is covered in mud, just like her face and pretty much the rest of her body. "Thanks for asking." Though her words are kind, there is still a bit of anger in her voice. It's not directed at me, obviously. She just doesn't know how to process everything at the moment - and honestly, I can't blame her for that.

"Alright." I take a closer look at everyone one last time, just to make sure. "If there's anything you need, you can just come to me and ask, you hear?" Their answer is a series of dull nods.

I tell them goodbye and walk over to the next bunch of people, where I repeat everything I did with the other group. Thankfully, none of them seem to be severely injured, so there's no need to call an ambulance.

After I checked that everyone else is doing okay, I head back to Mara, who looks far less exhausted than before.

"Everyone is doing fine - or at least as fine as they can after all this. There's no need to call an ambulance." A loud, yet somewhat relieved sigh escapes my lips. "Thank god… This could've turned out a lot worse. Are you feeling better?"

Mara nods tenderly before responding: "Yeah… I'm a bit better now. Though I'll feel much better once we get out of here." A bit shaky, she gets up as well. Afterwards she wipes the dirt off her clothes and takes another deep breath. "Let's leave this goddamn place."

We both turn around and step forward, until a loud scream shrills behind us. Before we know it, the blond-haired android runs past us, a striking scar now adorning the left side of his tender face. He wanders around aimlessly, since he doesn't know where to escape to.

In the end, he trips over a metal pole and falls down a slope. For a few moments I hear the bushes ratling, but suddenly they fall dead silent.

"Is it dead?" asks a young, short man. He wears a leather jacket, a pair of worn trousers and sneakers that used to be white at some point.

Together, we cautiously go to the slope and observe the space below us. There is no sight of the android, meaning that he either managed to escape or he is trapped somewhere.

Suddenly, a thought crosses my mind: _What if I can get him out of here?_

I desperately want to help him, but with all the others around, there is no way I will get him away from here unnoticed. Unless… I join the game.

I muster what little strength I still have and say: "We can't be sure. I'll go check it out!"

With shivering hands, I grab the young man's metal bat. "I still have a score to settle with this thing."

I gesture Mara to follow me. Clearly, she is shocked by my sudden change of character, but a short wink from my side is enough to convince her that I'm not serious about it. "Let's go!"

The two of us cautiously climb down the remains of a concrete wall that is just a few feet away from the skate park. It's not exactly the safest way of getting down there - especially with nothing but our phones' flashlights - but it's definitely the fastest, and I need as much time as I can get. I don't want anyone to discover us during our _secret mission_.

Once we fought our way through a wall of bushes, we arrive in an area where rusty rail tracks lay on the ground, some segments of which are already bent, broken and overgrown. These rails were abandoned quite a few years ago, right after the new high-speed magnetic railway system was introduced. This allowed for a much faster way to travel around not only the surrounding area, but also the whole country. Countless commuters were relieved by these changes - not least because ticket prices also got cheaper. Furthermore, accidents and delays were reduced to a minimum thanks to an automatic control system, making trains a much more reliable mode of transport than cars and planes.

A short peek around the area tells me that there's no one in sight. The only sound than can be heard is the rustling of the leaves, as well as birds merrily chirping within the bushes.

"Where the hell is this guy? There's no way he ran off that fast!" I check everything twice, even three times with the help of my phone, but there are no signs he even got here at all. No footprints, no blue stains, absolutely nothing. He might be dead after all.

"Maybe he went in another direction?" Mara guesses, "We didn't see where he landed, so he might have just ran off the other way. I mean, we didn't hear anything suspicious, right?" She looks around once more, for good measure. "He's probably long gone."

Since we are both pretty exhausted from our search, we sit down on one of the tracks and rest for a moment. Aside from the natural sounds, there really is nothing out of the ordinary. It's incredibly peaceful - too peaceful, in fact. While it's supposed to calm down my nerves, this silence actually makes me sort of paranoid. The shadows that our phones cast don't really help with that either.

Who knows? Someone might lurk around the corner, ready to attack, and we wouldn't be able to react in time.

Mara, on the other hand, enjoys our brief pause to the fullest. If it wasn't for me, I'm sure she would have stayed here for a while. She looks so calm that it hurts my heart to rip her out of this tranquility.

"C'mon, we still have to find him. I'm sure he's somewhere around here." I quickly stand up and help her get back on her feet. Our last resort is to follow the tracks, hoping that he might have found some place to hide. After all, Mara and I know first-hand that there are more than enough nooks and crannies nearby that qualify as hideouts.

One of these is the wreck of an old steam locomotive from the 19th century. It used to be a museum piece, but in remembrance of Detroit's humble beginnings and the eventual growth of the industry, the city decided to put the engine back on the rails. The citizens absolutely loved the idea back then, and it quickly became one of Detroit's most popular attractions for locals and tourists alike. Unfortunately, it crashed a couple of years ago due to a mechanical failure of the tracks, leaving dozens of people injured. They were evacuated, of course, but for some reason the train was never removed and brought back for restauration. Instead, they just left it next to the rails and never bothered paying attention to it after that.

In the end, it's just an old relict which fell prey to the ravages of time.

"There it is!" Mara shouts excitedly, "Man, it's been too long! Do you remember how we used to play here all the time?" She runs around the train for a while before she playfully knocks on the cold metal. The sound that echoes from it wakes my memories of those times Mara, her siblings and I played here together. Back then, everything was much more simple, and there were no androids to be afraid of. We always strolled around, even in the dead of night, and let our imagination create all different kinds of worlds for us to explore. It's too bad my imagination doesn't work its magic anymore.

"Yeah," I reply swiftly, "I remember getting in trouble because I snuck out at night all the time, even though I was super scared of the dark. You guys always caught me at the end of the street, 'cause I thought that monsters would come after me if I'm too far away from home - and from Archie." Little Archie was my best friend during my early years of life. He's a small, green plush dinosaur that is dressed like a gladiator, including the armor, helmet, sword, shield and the big sandals. I'm not sure why they decided to design a gladiator dinosaur; all I know is that five-year-old me prefered him over all the dolls in the girl toys section. To be honest, he's still sitting on my work desk. He's usually the first one to give me comfort during stressful times.

"That's right! You were such a scaredy-cat back then. Boo!" She jumps towards me, her arms raised like a monster that is about to attack. However, she can't keep her role up for too long, as she quickly starts laughing. I, too, can't hold back a quick chuckle - until a mysterious clatter emerges from the inside of the engine, followed by a faint whimper.

 _Jackpot,_ I cheer internally, _we finally got him._

We slowly, quietly step towards the train. His voice gets louder with each step, so that the initial whining gradually turns into short cries for help which are muffled by his coat. The LED on his temple is flashing bright red - It even shines through his hand as he covers it from me.

"Don't be scared," I whisper as smoothly as I can, "we're not gonna hurt you. We've come to get you out of here." Although he doesn't respond to me directly, I still notice that he's listening to me. Maybe he will trust me if I continue talking to him.

I warily take a step towards him. Interestingly enough, he doesn't draw back, despite the fact that he is scared to death.

"My name's Sofia. What about you?" In order to not frighten him further, I sit down, lean my back against the metal wall and stretch out my legs. I put my phone right beside me; the light hardly illuminates the cabin. "Do you want to tell me who you are?"

At first, he seems to ignore me or pretend that I'm not here, but after a few moments he looks over to me, his eyes filled with fear. The scar across his left cheek is much larger than I first thought. Even the eye itself appears to be damaged: It's completely colored in blue and the pupil is barely visible.

The best I can do to reassure him is to show a faint, yet honest smile. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but-"

He cuts me off with his shaking voice: "R-Ralph… It's Ralph. That's my name. The name my owners gave me." His face twitches as he speaks, though I can't tell if that is because he's nervous or injured.

Either way, I can confidently say that this is not the face of an evil killing machine that wants to wipe out humanity. Before me cowers an innocent humanoid machine that got beaten up simply because it exists. The mere thought of this makes me sick.

"Alright, Ralph," I say as I straighten myself, "You can't stay here. The others are gonna find you eventually, so we need to find a safe place for you to hide."

I take my phone, stand up and stretch myself. Ralph watches me vigilantly, reacting to every little movement I make with a flinch. After a little while I get out of the driver's cab. "Come on, we've got to go."

I offer him my hand so he can climb out as well. Although he's very shy at first, he does reach out for it in the end, takes a small leap and stumbles to the ground.

Only now does he notice that Mara is also present, and he immediately returns to his fragile state. She, on the other hand, dispels his concerns by explaining to him that she is one of my best friends, and that she came with me to find him and see if he's okay.

"T-Thank you…" he stutters while he takes a look around, probably to check if there really is no one else with us. At that point, his LED changes back into a calming shade of blue.

"Well then," I declare enthusiastically, "It's time to leave! Let's head to the eastern part of town. If I remember correctly, there are a bunch of empty houses in the neighborhood you can stay in. No one will notice you there."

Some quarters of the city were abandoned during the mass emigration caused by the industrial revolution. By that time, the methods and materials for house construction had changed severely, so that they were deemed unsafe by today's standards.

What remains are a handful of slums which are spread across the whole city and its outskirts. They might be small at the moment, but as more and more people leave, they just keep expanding.

Guided by the pale moonlight, we arrive at the first block of degenerated houses. There is one building in particular I have in mind which has been lying empty ever since I can remember. It's pretty much invisible due to this exact reason - no one bats an eye on it anymore.

"Here we are!" We stand in front of a small, desolate building. The windows are already broken, I think they have been for quite a while. Someone tried to conceal them with wooden planks, which worked only moderately. The same can be said about the roof, where most of the roof tiles are missing.

"I admit it's not the best place to stay, but as long as you're in there, no one will bother you." I lead the two to the back of the building. A large wire fence blocks our path, but it still allows us to take a peek at the property. Logically, the only way inside is to get past it.

"This should be quite easy," Mara realizes, "There's no spikes or anything, so we just have to climb over it."

Ralph is kind enough to help us out. He allows us to climb on his back for support, making it much easier for us to get to the other side. Afterwards he jumps over the fence almost effortlessly.

Now that we are right next to the building, my curiosity starts to get the better of me. "Okay, Mara. Before we leave, we better check this place out first. I just want to make sure that he won't have any guests in there."

The frail wooden door opens with a crack, and reveals all that is left of this abandoned house: The old pieces of furniture randomly spread around the house, the tiny shreds of the wallpaper which are still stuck on the wall, and the reeking smell of rotten wood that fills the air. Rubble, dirt and scraps of paper lie on the ground. Whatever is written on them faded overtime.

Overall, the house is in terrible condition, but given the circumstances that's not really surprising. At least there is no one around to disturb him. No humans, no androids, not even animals.

I attempt to lighten Ralph's mood a little: "It needs to be renovated just a _little_ bit. I'm sure you can make yourself at home, though! You'll have plenty of time to think of something."

While he didn't seem very convinced at first, I now see that he's starting to like the idea of his own, small home. I suppose he never had the chance to do that, so it must be an interesting challenge for him.

"Hey, Ralph?" I ask out of curiosity, "What's your profession? I mean, I can tell by your uniform that you are some sort of worker, but what do you do?"

"I'm… I _was_ a gardener, one of the WR600 androids built to keep the parks nice and clean, and to take care of the plants and trees." He glances at a petite white flower that grows through the floor under his feet. "But… they said they didn't need most of us anymore, so they wanted to return us to CyberLife..."

He abruptly goes quiet. Once again his face begins to twitch. He looks around nervously, as if there is something in the room with us that he wants to avoid.

 _Poor thing_ , I pity him, _He went through so much..._

I slowly walk over to him and put my hands on his shoulders. "I'm so sorry to hear that," I comfort him, "I know too well what it feels like when nobody wants you anymore. But this is the perfect chance for a fresh start! You can be whoever you want whenever you want!"

"Yeah! That's right!" Mara jumps up enthusiastically before patting his head. "You're Ralph, and no one can change that! Right, Sofia?"

"Right!" I chuckle. We both laugh out loud for a moment, but eventually stop because we don't want to draw too much attention to us.

"Anyway, it's pretty late and we have to leave. If it's okay for you, we'll drop by for a visit from time to time, yes?"

Ralph's response is as quick as it is short: "Yes! That'd be succulent! Succulent!" He can barely hold back his excitement. He jumps up and down feverishly with a big grin on his face.

It's too bad we have to leave him for now.

Once we take the first steps outside the house, the cold night air greets us with a gentle blow. We bid Ralph farewell and take our leave. Out of nostalgia, we agree to walk all the way back to my apartment. Mara will stay the there for the night, since we are both absolutely exhausted.

As the door unlocks and the door opens, I'm immediately reminded of the day I took Chloe in. She's been in the back of my head this entire time, and I can't shake the thoughts off, no matter how much I want to.

 _I absolutely have to check on her tomorrow..._

Without any further chit chat, we both drop into our beds - or in Mara's case the couch - and let ourselves slowly fall asleep.

Hopefully, today's memories won't haunt us in our dreams. What we've been through is already enough.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** Phew, the next chapter is finally up. To be honest, this one's been on my computer for quite the long time, I never really had the time to post it here._

 _The next ones are already in the making, so I'm sure it won't take too long until I can upload them._

 _Thanks for your patience. I hope you enjoyed the story so far! :)_


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